A/N:

I apologize for taking so long with this update. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the story alerts, favorites, and those that reviewed! So glad people are interested in reading this little cross-fic! (I encourage anyone to start one of their own – there really just aren't enough cross-fics out there!)

So, as a real chapter note – have to throw out another apology. This chapter is a little more with the introductions and story set up, and not so much with the good stuff... :( BUT... we're getting warmer :)

Chapter 2

"I can't believe you're missing a chance to go back there!" Danni whined at me for the millionth time.

It wasn't like I had a choice. There was an unexpected issue that came up with my scholarship - as in - I wasn't getting as much as I thought.

"Danni, I told you. I want to go. Believe me. But until I find a part-time job, I'm not even sure I have enough money to stay in school, let alone have enough left over for going out."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I don't mean to make it worse on you, it's just, I don't have anyone else to go with, and I really wanted to see The Rolling Bones!"

I felt for Danni, I really did. But I had bigger worries than missing out on a vampire cover band. I didn't want to tell my Dad about the new financial situation. I knew if I told him my award amount had been unexpectedly decreased, he would use any tactic he could to get me to come home, and I wasn't sure what excuse I could possibly give him for staying under the circumstances.

But right now, I really wanted to be alone to think of a solution and didn't want Danni to suffer with me any longer than necessary.

"I actually heard some of the girls down the hall talking about wanting to go out tonight, but not knowing where to go. Maybe if you catch up with them before dinner you could try and convince them to go to Fangtasia with you." I offered.

I knew Danni was more shy than I was, which was saying something, but I hoped she'd take my advice and figure out a way to have fun without me.

To my relief, she agreed with my idea and before taking off, Danni suggested I check the community boards on campus for any possible part-time positions open to students.

That sounded like a perfect idea to me.

"Sorry Ms. Swan. We filled all of our available positions at the start of the semester. You might want to come in and try us again in January, sometimes we have a few spots that open up at the start of the Spring semester." Ms. Flowers politely informed me over the phone.

"Thanks, but I can't wait until January. If I don't find something by the end of the week, I may not even make it through October." I gave her a disheartened good-bye and threw my phone down on my bed.

Ms. Flowers had been the eleventh disappointing call I had made since returning to my room from trekking around campus – from the cafeteria to the library – in search of help wanted ads. In between calls, I had uploaded my resume to more websites than I could count, and now I was forced to play the waiting game, a game I was not fond of nor particularly good at.

Feeling immensely frustrated, I decided to take a nice hot shower and call it an early night.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

My brain gradually recognized the outside noise pushing through my sleepy haze. I reached across my body, blindly searching for my phone to silence the alert. I let out a sigh and slowly opened my eyes to see why my phone was yelling at me. Three missed calls. No voice mails. Awesome.

I scrolled through the call history, briefly worried that it may have been Danni needing a ride home, but was relieved to see that all three calls came from the same number and was one I didn't recognize. While debating on whether or not to call the number back at ten o'clock at night, whoever was at the other end of that number decided for me as my phone began ringing again, their number flashing on my caller ID.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding and answered with a quick, "Hello?"

"Ms. Swan?" a female voice drawled out.

"Yes?"

"Ms. Isabella Swan?" she questioned further.

I impatiently confirmed my identity again and followed it with a clip, "Can I help you?"

"No, Ms. Swan, I'm calling to help you. I understand you are in need of employment?"

"Um, yes, I am. I'm sorry, I missed your name? Did I send my resume to your company?" I was confused as to why she hadn't yet introduced herself.

"We met last Friday night. My name is Pam. If you are in fact looking for work, Fangtasia has a position that has suddenly opened right up." she lazily drawled her words out again and I almost wondered if she was bored.

"I'll take it." The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could control them, despite my mind going into overdrive with all the questions I had about this entire call.

"Not so fast. We need you to be interviewed first. If you pass the initial interview, you'll meet with the owner to go over what will be required of you if you're hired."

Before I had a chance to ask her one of the many questions I still had, she didn't miss a beat before continuing.

"Unfortunately, we're on a time constraint. Now, I understand you have classes during the day, but the person you're interviewing with has a very narrow window of availability tomorrow evening. You need to be able to meet her in Bon Temps at three o'clock sharp. The place is called Merlotte's, you can find the address online. It's a tiny local hole, so no need to concern yourself with a particular dress code. And Ms. Swan? Don't be late." Click.

I sat for a long moment, staring at my phone, unable to speak. I tried to snap my mind back and focus on everything she said, trying to determine if she really said anything at all.

I quickly wrote down what little information she did give to me before collapsing back down on my bed. I almost started laughing as I envisioned a large thought balloon looming over my head, filled with all of the unanswered questions of the call.

How did she get my number? How did she know I was looking for a job? What was the job? What did a bar in a town called Bon Temps have to do with Fangtasia? Who was I meeting at Merlotte's?

It occurred to me that Pam hadn't even provided me with a name of the person I was to meet at the local hole, as she called it. I knew Pam was the bouncer that had carded Danni and I, but that little bit of information only led to more questions. Who was the owner? And even with all the other questions answered, why on earth would he or she decide they wanted to hire me, never having met me?

I pulled into the Merlotte's parking lot at precisely 2:35 p.m. Had I been in Forks for this interview, I would have stayed out in my car until it was a little closer to the appointment time, but the Louisiana heat – even in the fall – left me little choice but to go in early.

Walking in, I could instantly see why Pam would call it a local hole. Though, in fairness, I wasn't sure it should be a surprise for a few locals to be the only patrons on a Friday afternoon after the lunch rush and before it was time for dinner. I stood at the hostess stand for a few more seconds before a woman sitting at the bar turned around to look at me.

Slurring her words, she yelled, "Sugar, 'round here this time a day, there ain't no hostessin'. You just g'on an' sit yourself."

A few people sitting at a far end table just nodded in agreement without comment.

Knowing I was early, and still having no idea who it was I was supposed to meet, I decided on an empty booth near the door. After what felt like a solid ten minutes of just sitting alone in the booth, a scruffy looking man with sandy-colored hair walked out of the kitchen and behind the bar. I silently watched him as he spent several minutes taking inventory of his liquor bottles. When he finally looked up and noticed my presence, he dropped his pencil and paper and offered a somewhat confused smile.

Walking over to my booth, he called out to presumably everyone else in the bar, "Hey, y'all, why didn't you tell me I had a customer?"

He didn't waste time with the grumblings coming from everyone and instead directed his next words to me as he handed me a menu.

"I'm sorry, have you been waiting here long?"

He looked, nice, for lack of a better word. A little on the shaggy side, but in a way that wasn't off-putting at all. I could tell immediately he was the kind of guy that made you feel comfortable just from a simple smile.

"It's fine, really. I haven't been waiting long." I smiled up at him, immediately realizing my mistake as the flush of my cheeks surely gave away how attractive I thought he was.

"Well, I'm sorry for the wait. I'm Sam, the owner of this fine establishment you've stumbled onto. This is my slow time, and I have a waitress out sick, but usually we're a little quicker at greeting new faces around here. What can I get ya to drink?"

It may have been the easiness in his voice and demeanor, but something about this man made me think he would be the right person to ask about who I was meeting. Or it could just be that I wanted to keep talking to him, knowing a conversation with him would calm my nerves.

"Um, actually, I'm not here to eat, though I guess I wouldn't mind a glass of water? But I could really use your help in figuring out who I'm supposed to be meeting here at three o'clock?"

When my statement mentioning the appointment time didn't receive a reaction from him, I immediately guessed he was not my interviewer.

"Well, chere, what exactly is it that you're meeting them for?" he asked with another easy smile and a hint of flirtation to his voice.

"An interview?" I offered with a hopeful raise of my eyebrows.

Recognition seemed to flood his eyes, and for a moment I felt relieved that he seemed to know why I was there.

Any relief I had was dispelled immediately as his words came out much harsher than I expected.

"I can see you aren't from around here. I don't know who it is you're meeting here, but I can assure you, if you're looking for a story, it isn't here. We're done with being gracious hosts to reporters."

Wait. What? He thought I was a reporter?

"No, I mean, um, I'm so sorry, I should have been more specific. I'm not a reporter. I'm here for a job interview?"

His expression only softened infinitesimally, but I was glad to see a hint of his smile back no matter how hesitant.

"Well, chere, as I mentioned, I'm the owner of this bar. If you had a job interview scheduled for today, I'm pretty sure I'd know about it. Since I don't know about it, my guess is that you're in the wrong place."

I tried not to grow frustrated, but my patience was waning. First, I get a call out of nowhere from a place I hadn't even applied to telling me they had a position open for me. When I tell them I would take the position, then they tell me I had to interview for it first. Once I agreed without knowing any other details, I'm asked to drive out in the middle of nowhere to meet a nameless person in a bar where no one has any idea who I am or what I'm doing there. What was I getting myself into?

"I'm sorry, again. It seems I'm still not communicating very effectively."

I closed my eyes as I recounted the absurd story of what brought me here.

"I received a call last night from a woman working at a Shreveport club - Fangtasia - that told me I was to come here at three p.m. sharp to interview for a position that opened up there. She didn't give me any names or really any other information, just that I was supposed to be here, at Merlotte's, at three p.m."

I once again met his eyes with a hopeful look, silently praying that I wasn't the butt of an elaborate practical joke.

Thankfully, his expression continued to soften, though now he was shaking his head in disapproval.

"Now what's a nice girl like you doing looking for a job at a place like that?"

My lips twitched, and I tried desperately to not smile at his presumption.

"How do you know I'm a nice girl?"

Shaking his head even more emphatically, his smile fully returned as he answered, "Well, now, I guess I don't, do I? Well, for your sake, I hope you don't get whatever job they're offering. And if it doesn't work out or you come to your senses and change your mind, come find me, I may be able to use you here for a couple of shifts a week if you've had restaurant experience."

I didn't have waitress experience, and the commute to Bon Temps would probably cost more than what I'd make in tips at the place, but he seemed nice enough and I thought it might be rude if I told him that.

"Thanks, I'll think about it."

"Alright. Well, I'll grab you a water while you wait. Sookie'll be on her way in shortly, that's who you're looking for. Perky blonde, hard to miss." and with that he walked back toward the kitchen and out of sight.

"Hi, I'm Sookie."

The perky blonde – spot on description from Sam – held out her hand as she slid into the seat across from mine.

I took her hand and introduced myself.

"I'm Bella Swan. You're the person interviewing me for the position at Fangtasia?"

"Is that what they told you?" She smiled openly at me, but the way she was looking at me made me wonder if this interview was just going to cause me to have more questions.

"Actually, I wasn't told much of anything. Pam just told me I had to pass an interview with you before interviewing with her boss."

She looked at me questioningly for a moment before speaking again.

"So what made you apply for a job at Fangtasia?"

I looked at her with an equally questioning look as I formed my answer.

"I didn't. Pam just called me out of nowhere for the position. She never even gave me a chance to ask her how she got my number before hanging up on me."

Another blank smile spread across Sookie's face as she listened to my answer.

"That sure sounds like Pam. Why did you agree to work at a place you didn't even apply to?"

The frustration I felt while talking to Sam seemed to return twofold.

"Because I need a job. Look, I was actually hoping you could tell me more about the position? Or maybe even tell me why they'd want me to fill it?"

Sookie looked at her watch and immediately scooted out of the booth. Implying her shift was about to start and our time was up.

"Oh I have no idea what Eric wants with you. But if you want my advice? You might want to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into before actually getting into it."

Despite her choice of words, her tone was more concerned and less hostile as she delivered her parting statement.

Before she had a chance to completely walk away, I spoke up, "I'm not sure what kind of interview this was, but, um, so what now?"

She looked back at me and with a tone and expression I couldn't quite read she said, "Well, I can't answer about a possible job, but what I can tell you is that I'm ninety-nine percent sure you'll be hearing from Eric very soon."

Walking back to my car, I had to laugh at the absolute absurdity of this entire experience. But even with so many questions left unanswered, some little voice inside my head was telling me that with the absurd phone call and two minute interview, I was finally getting a real taste of the reason I wanted to move here.

5 Hours Later …

For what felt like hours, I had been staring at my phone willing it to come to life. When I finally did get a call, it was just Danni begging me to leave the room and come eat with her. I wasn't sure why I was expecting a call so soon after talking with Sookie, but something in her voice when she said she was sure I would hear from Eric made it sound like I would be hearing from him tonight.

Just as I had grabbed my keys getting ready to head out of the door to meet Danni, my phone rang again. This time the caller ID had excitement replacing the disappointment I had felt all evening.

I tried to stay calm as I answered.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Swan. Congratulations, you've passed the first interview. Now, be here tonight at three o'clock sharp." the female voice I now recognized as Pam instructed.

"Wait, don't hang up!"

Not waiting a second, I kept going, "Where is "here" - do you mean Fangtasia this time? And three tonight? You mean 3 a.m.? Tonight?"

I exhaled the breath I was holding, no longer worried she had ended the call when she responded.

"Yes, here, is Fangtasia. Yes, three a.m. Yes, tonight. Is there a problem?"

"No, I – "

"Good. See you tonight, Ms. Swan."

And with that, she hung up. How did these people know I was the kind of person that was curious enough to go through with these crazy demands?

I pulled into the almost empty Fangtasia parking lot, this time only being ten minutes early. My nerves immediately spiked as I unsuccessfully searched for any signs of life. The Fangtasia exterior lights were off, and I felt my stomach instantly tighten. Not wanting to give myself a chance to chicken out, I hurriedly got out of the car and approached the main entrance. The door was locked, so I knocked as hard as my knuckles would allow on the steel door.

A few minutes passed, and goose bumps pebbled on my skin as a chilly breeze circled past, lifting my hair slightly off my shoulder. Fighting the equally strong feelings of frustration and fear, I finally caved in to my emotions and began loudly banging on the metal door, willing someone inside to come and open it.

I finally got my wish when just a few moments later the door swung open. My eyes immediately focused on a sliver of exposed pale skin before realizing I was staring openly at the man who opened the door. My eyes slowly traveled up his torso, past his opened dress shirt and finally met his piercing blue gaze. I felt my breath catch as I watched him reach out his hand toward me. It took me another few seconds to realize I was expected to return the polite gesture.

Trying to pull myself together, I accepted his outstretched hand. As his cool hand wrapped tightly around mine, it only took another second to process that he was clearly a vampire. And yet again, I was immediately reminded of the absence of the stone-like texture of a vampire's skin. Before I could properly think about the phrasing of my question, I blurted out, "You're not hard?"

Realizing my blunder, my blush was unsurprisingly instantaneous. My horror only intensified as I watched him slowly lower his gaze to the zipper of his pants.

He leaned in toward me as he slowly brought his eyes back up to meet mine and replied with a smirk and a quick wink, "Not yet."

End Note:

And so she meets Eric. And Sam and Sookie. But, she meets Eric. :)